๐๐๐ฉ๐จ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐,๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌโ
The National Power Corporation (Napocor) implements a European Union (EU)-funded project under the Access to Sustainable Energy in the Philippines Programme (ASEP), a joint undertaking of the EU and the Department of Energy that aims to give the poor access to affordable, clean, and disaster-resilient energy systems.
Napocor said that it recently awarded the supply and delivery of 30,500 units of Solar Home System (SHS) to Trademaster Resources Corporation. The units will be distributed to six electric cooperatives (EC) in Mindanao region such as First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Fibeco), Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Buseco), Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Sukelco), Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Dasureco), South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Socoteco II), and Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cotelco). The coops will in turn provide the units to households without access to electricity, such as those located in far-flung sitios that cannot be immediately reached by power distribution lines.
Project head Rommel U. Mamangun of Napocor said that the provision of SHS under the Photovoltaic Mainstreaming program is administered by the World Bank and financed through the EU's 3.8-billion peso assistance to the Philippine energy sector.
โThese SHS units will help our six coops provide electricity to 30,500 households using clean and renewable energy. The system is prepaid and household beneficiaries may purchase load credits from their respective electric cooperatives,โ Mamangun said.
Mr. Christoph Wagner, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the EU to the Philippines says that, โthis local action supports vulnerable and isolated communities in a sustainable manner. EU is proud to finance this initiative that will provide clean power, with a direct impact on livelihoods and education of many Filipinos.โ
Each SHS package includes a 50 Wp solar panel, charge controller with lithium-ion batteries, which can power 4 LED bulbs, a radio, a torch light and 5V DC USB ports to charge mobile phones.
On top of this, Napocor will also facilitate other projects for ASEP including the Rural Network Solar , which will install a 1MWp solar farm in each of the seven participating ECs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; and the Prepaid Metering Pilot which will install, monitor, and evaluate 1,000 prepaid meters in an electric coop franchise in Mindanao.
Napocor President and CEO Pio J. Benavidez said that the corporation is honored to have been tapped for the projects.
โIt is an added work, yes. But more importantly, it fast-tracks our efforts towards the country's total electrification at the household level. In fact, Napocor will also implement its own SHS projects in far-flung areas,โ Benavidez said.